Utilizing Social Media Videos for Your Brand

Apr4

Written by Abbey Donahue

Did you know that one-third of online activity is spent watching videos? Of course you did, we see you snickering at those funny cats over there on your lunch break. Social media videos are super popular (and for good reason). They’re quick, entertaining, memorable, and share-worthy. You just sent your BFF the cat video link, didn’t you?

By incorporating high-quality, engaging videos into your digital strategy, you too can capitalize on this video watching & sharing phenomenon. Here, we’ll go over the different types of social media videos and how you can leverage this medium to spread awareness about your brand.

Types of Social Media Videos

Here, we’ll discuss the different types of social media videos and the benefits of each.

Facebook and Instagram

When it comes to social media, video generates 1200% more shares than text and images combined. If that doesn’t peak your interest, you probably need another cup of coffee. And if you’re considering trading in your current digital team for a film editor and producer, you’re probably just a tad too stat-happy. All we mean is that it’s a solid idea to start integrating more video usage into your current social media strategy. Plus, with the big changes Facebook is making to its algorithm, this is one organic way to keep your engagement high.

Live Videos on Facebook and Instagram

Live videos, when used correctly, are highly interactive for the right audience. During a live video, viewers can ask questions and comment in real-time, building trust and rapport with your customers. Live videos tend to be popular for events and behind-the-scenes activities, like a tour of your office space, or a Q&A about a product or service. Consider this: 80% would rather watch live video from a brand than read a blog, and 82% prefer live video from a brand to social posts.

Facebook and Instagram Stories

Facebook and Instagram Stories are both fairly new features that have taken off over the last year or two. These temporary stories (much like Snapchat) are placed at the top of a user’s Instagram and Facebook feed. Stories are great for offering exclusive content, promoting offers, showing behind-the-scenes, showcasing services or creating overall brand awareness. Because Instagram doesn’t have a chronological feed anymore, many Instagram posts never get seen. However, with Instagram Stories, your brand has a better chance of getting its content out there and seen by your audience. Read: your time creating valuable content = not wasted.

Additionally, Instagram has introduced Instagram Story ads, that appear between follower stories. They can be images or videos and can include a CTA to “swipe up” if the account has enough followers, taking the user to a landing page or a page on your website. Where is the downside? We don’t see one. Instagram Story ads can be created and launched through Facebook Ads Manager.

Snapchat Stories and Ads

Using Snapchat ads is tactic not generally recommended because of the high price tag that comes it. However, Facebook and Instagram were once the same way when they were new. It’s still important to know that the option to advertise on Snapchat is available, in case advertising prices drop in the future, or you feel it’s a worthwhile use of resources for your brand.

Currently, Snapchat is used by large brands and popular publishers like BuzzFeed and People Magazine to publish videos or ads that are highly engaging and encourage click-throughs to a blog or website page. Snapchat ads are also used by large brands to generate awareness among a specific target audience, much like Facebook and Instagram.

Social Media Video Best Practices

Want to create engaging, effective social media videos for your brand? Keep these tips in mind.

Think “No Sound” First

How embarrassing for you if the whole office could hear the meowing coming from your cubical earlier. So many people watch videos with no sound because they are in a public place or scrolling through social media while watching TV. Plus, Facebook and Instagram’s default settings have videos play with no sound automatically. Make sure your video message has subtitles or makes sense without sound.

If Using Instagram Stories:

Add hashtags, tag accounts or use the “Swipe Up” feature to add links for more ROI. You can add a website link to your Instagram story to take interested viewers to a place to find more information. Not only do Instagram stories generate awareness, they can be another opportunity to gain website traffic or inspire conversions.

Size Matters

When creating your video for social media, size matters. An Instagram or Facebook story video will be vertical, like the shape of an iPhone. An Instagram video should be a square, while a Facebook video does best if it is horizontal. Each platform has a specific size that is optimal for success!

Time Is Of The Essence

Just because it’s a video doesn’t mean it will perform well on social media. Time is a very important factor when it comes to video success. For example, Facebook videos should not run longer than two minutes. Engagement tends to fall off after the two-minute mark. For Instagram, the time limit is even shorter. Keep Instagram videos to under one minute at the most! Ideally, your video would be between 15 and 30 seconds for Instagram.

3…2…1…That’s All You Get

Yes, you read that right. Facebook’s Autoplay will count the first 3 seconds as a “view” in your metrics. So, how can you ensure that your target audience is watching your video on social media? By making the first three seconds of your video really grab their attention. You can do this through the imagery itself, or use words to draw them in.

The ROI of Social Media Videos

To wrap up regarding the importance of social media videos, here are some ways that videos can benefit your brand:

Spread awareness about your brand, products or services.

Boost reach and engagement on Facebook or Instagram.

Establish trust with potential customers.

Save money in your advertising budget with a lower cost-per-conversion than image ads.

Interested in creating compelling videos for social media? Let’s chat.